Device for pulling the rachis

ABSTRACT

Device for pulling and elongating the rachis of a patient lying on a horizontal support, with removable attaching means which engage on the one hand the pelvic area of said patient and on the other hand, the one end of said horizontal support to prevent said patient moving away from said one end, means for engaging the occipital area of said patient and traction means bearing on the other end of said horizontal support and connected to said means engaging the occipital area to pull same towards said other end along an upwards direction with an angle lying between 30* and 60* to the horizontal.

1 Mar. 18, 1975 1 DEVICE FOR PULLING THE RACHIS [76] Inventor: Yves Paul Charles Cotrel, 9, rue

Perrochaud-F, Berck-Plage, France [22] Filed: Nov. 6, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 413,267

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,298,364 l/1967 Radford 128/75 3,359,976 12/1967 Laual, Jr... 3,413,971 12/1968 Evans 3,522,802 Morton 128/75 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-J. Yasko [57] ABSTRACT Device for pulling and elongating the rachis of a patient lying on a horizontal support, with removable attaching means which engage on the one hand the pelvic area of said patient and on the other hand, the one end of said horizontal support to prevent said patient moving away from said one end, means for engaging the occipital area of said patient and traction means bearing on the other end of said horizontal support and connected to said means engaging the occipital area to pull same towards said other end along an upwards direction with an angle lying between 30 and 60 to the horizontal.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR PULLING THE RACHIS This invention relates to a device for pulling and elongating the rachis.

There is already known a device for pulling and elongating the rachis, which comprises a-table comprised of two plates which can be pulled apart by means of a suitable mechanism, the upper and lower parts of the patient being respectively attached to-one of said plates. Thus by separating the plates it is possible to pull the rachis of the patient.

Such a known device allows to relieve the dorsolombalgies due for instance to a progressive discus degeneration and it is even often used to contend with discus herniae. However said device-has a number of drawbacks.

First of all it is expensive as it does comprise an electromechanical apparatus for spreading the plates.

Moreover the use of said device is dangerous for the patient (it is necessary not to exert too strong a traction on the rachis and not to release too rapidly a traction), which requires the continual presence of a physician as the device is being used. Finally due to the two plates that move away from one another the device is not comfortable and it can only be used momentarily, for a number of minutes at the most. Consequently it is not suitable for a continuous traction during several hours.

The action of such a device is thus temporary as after the relatively strong and momentary traction on the rachis, said rachis has a tendency to revert to the original shape thereof.

The present invention has for object to obviate said drawbacks.

According to the invention, the device for pulling the rachis of a patient lying on a horizontal support comprises removable attaching means which engage on the one hand the pelvic area of said patient and on the other hand, the one end of said horizontal support to prevent said patient moving away from said one end, means for engaging the occipital area of said patient and traction means bearing on the other end of said horizontal support and connected to said means engaging the occipital area to pull same towards said other end along an upwards direction with an angle lying between 30" and 60 to the horizontal.

In an advantageous embodiment, said removable attaching means are comprised of-two crossed belts that enclose each the patients waist and which are each attached to said support end through a strap, said straps being respectively arranged on either side of said patient. To avoid hurting the patient, the connection between each belt and the corresponding strap is 'made through plates that bear on the body by the level of the trochanters.

The means engaging the patients occipital area advantageously comprise a head-band enclosing the patients head by the level of theoccipital and temporal areas. So as to retain said head-band in position, said engaging means can be completed-by a chin-band and by a frontal band connecting both head-band legs. Said head-band is connected through the front part thereof to the traction means. Preferably to balance the forces sidewise, a compensation bar is arranged between the traction means and the head-band.

Said traction means may comprise a bracket, for ex- I ample a removable one, which can be attached to that are attached the pelvis-engaging means, bracket on which is mounted at least one pulley. Over said pulley is trained a strap connecting the head-band to a counter-weight.

Preferably on the upper portion of the bracket is mounted another pulley over which is trained another strap connecting said means engaging the occipital area to pedals operated by the patients feet, the length of said strap being such that the patient will exert a pull on said means when his legs are stretched.

Advantageously, the bracket so telescopes as to allow adjusting the traction angle of the straps relative to the head-band. Said bracket can comprise on the one hand, a large base-plate which is slidable underneath the horizontal support and on the other hand, a movable catch the position of which can be fixed along the bracket and which can bear underneath said support.

Thus the bracket is easily mounted and removed relative to the support over which lies the patient. It will be noted that the device according to the invention is very simple and inexpensive and that it can be fitted to any support and particularly to a bed. Consequently, the patient can be comfortably settled and subjected to long tractions.

In most cases, a counter-weight of 13 lbs is largely enough to exert such tractions.

By means of the pedals, the patient can subject himself to an auto-acting tension. Said pedals allow the patient to perform by himself musculation exercises against a resistance for the lower members.

The device according to the invention allows to contend with scoliosis, cyphosis, dorsolombagy, vertebral dystrophies, etc. Said device also enables to prepare the patients for the surgical correction-fusion of heavy scoliosis and cyphosis.

Other details and features of the invention will stand out from the following description given by way of non limitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the use of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a part diagrammatic view in perspective of the device according to the invention.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the occipitus-chin-engaging means.

FIG. 6 shows part of the pelvis-engaging means.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show in two different positions (respectively with the legs folded up and stretched), a patient 1 who lies on a bed 2. At the end of said bed is arranged a telescopic bracket 3 the height of which can be adjusted by means of set screws 4.

The bracket 3 (see also FIG. 3) bears on the ground through a large base-plate 5 which insures thereto a good foundation and which is completely slidable underneath bed 2 so as to prevent any fall danger for those people having to move about the bed.

A catch 6 which is slidable along the bracket 3 and the position of which can be fixed along said bracket by a set screw 7, allows to make said bracket integral with the bed 2 by pressing against the lower surface thereof. Thus by means of said catch 6 and base-plate 5, there is no danger of the bracket toppling over.

At the top thereof, the bracket 3 bears two free pulleys 8 and 9 over which are trained the straps 10 and 11 respectively.

The one end of each strap 10 and 11 is connected for example through snap-hooks, to the center portion of a compensation bar 12. The other end of strap is connected to a counter-weight 13, while the other end of strap 11 is attached with an adjustable length to a ring 14.

Through said ring 14 passes a strap 15 both ends of which are connected to pedals l6 inside which the patient 1 can put his feet. The ring 14 is used as reversing element for both strands of strap 15 and gripping surfaces 17 are provided in the pedals 16 to give a suitable grip to the feet.

The patients head is enclosed by a head-band 18 that passes below the occiput and level with the temples and which is connected on either side of the head, to the ends of the compensating bar 12.

FIG. 4 shows the head-band 18 lying flat. Said headband is then in the shape of a crescent the center part 19 of which is to bear underneath the occiput, while the horns 20 thereof are to be joined for example through snap-hooks 21 to the corresponding ends of compensating bar 12. Cutouts 22 allow to free the patients ears from above. The headband 18 is completed to insure the retaining thereof in position on the patients head, by a small adjustable frontal band 23 and by a chinband 24 (see also the perspective showing in FIG. 5). Said chin-band is attached to the head-band 18 by two pairs of adjustable laces 25 and 26 some of which have rigid reinforcements 27 to prevent a possible strangling of the patient.

The patients waist is enclosed by two crossed belts 28 which each comprise a plate 29 bearing on the body of the patient 1 by the level of the trochanters. A padding 30 avoids the belts 28 hurting the patient. Two side straps 31, one on either side, allow to attach the belts 28 to the foot of bed 2 so as to prevent the patients pelvis moving away towards the bed head.

The height of bracket 3 is so adjusted that the angle a formed by the straps 10 and 11 adjacent the compensating bar 12 with the horizontal be comprised between 30 and 60 and preferably be about 15. In such conditions, the headband l8 bears with the center portion 19 thereof underneath the occiput, which is efficient while being tolerable for the patient who lies relatively comfortably.

The patient retained by the belts 28 is elongated by the counterweight 13 which in the case of an extended elongation cannot exceed 13 lbs.

When the patient bends his legs (see FIG. 1), the strap 11 is slack and no traction besides the one from counter-weight 13, is exerted on the head-band 18 and consequently on the patient 1.

To the contrary, when the patient stretches his legs (see FIG. 2), the strap 11 the length of which is adjusted for this purpose, pulls the head-band 18. The traction exerted in this way by the patients legs can be in the range of 52 to 54 lbs.

Of course the tractions performed by the straps l0 and 11 can be combined or exerted separately.

It must be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the above embodiments and that many changes may be brought therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Device for pulling the rachis of a patient, which comprises a horizontal support adapted to hold said patient in a lying position, removable attaching means adapted to engage on the one hand the pelvic area of said patient and on the other hand one end of said horizontal support to prevent said patient from moving away from said one end, means adapted to. engage the occipital area of said patient, and traction means bearing on the other end of said horizontal support and connected to said means adapted to engage the occipital area to pull same towards said other end along an upwards direction with an angle lying between 30 and to the horizontal, said traction means comprising a removable bracket adapted to be attached to said other end of said horizontal support, a pulley mounted on the upper portion of said bracket over which is trained a strap connecting said means adapted to engage the occipital area of said patient to a counter-weight, and another pulley mounted on the upper portion of said bracket over which is trained another strap connecting said means adapted to engage the occipital area of said patient to pedals adapted to be operated by the patients feet, the length of said other strap being such that the patient will exert a pull on the last said means when the patients legs are stretched. 

1. Device for pulling the rachis of a patient, which comprises a horizontal support adapted to hold said patient in a lying position, removable attaching means adapted to engage on the one hand the pelvic area of said patient and on the other hand one end of said horizontal support to prevent said patient from moving away from said one end, means adapted to engage the occipital area of said patient, and traction means bearing on the other end of said horizontal support and connected to said means adapted to engage the occipital area to pull same towards said other end along an upwards direction with an angle lying between 30* and 60* to the horizontal, said traction means comprising a removable bracket adapted to be attached to said other end of said horizontal support, a pulley mounted on the upper portion of said bracket over which is trained a strap connecting saId means adapted to engage the occipital area of said patient to a counter-weight, and another pulley mounted on the upper portion of said bracket over which is trained another strap connecting said means adapted to engage the occipital area of said patient to pedals adapted to be operated by the patient''s feet, the length of said other strap being such that the patient will exert a pull on the last said means when the patient''s legs are stretched. 